Tomato Jalapeno Salsa

The best tomato jalapeno salsa is chock-a-block with fresh tomatoes, jalapenos, cilantro, and a kiss of lime.

Enjoy it on chips, chicken or steak fajitas, or even on a taco salad!

How to make tomato jalapeno salsa

Ingredients Needed

• Tomatoes: Because this is a garden salsa, use whatever you have growing in the backyard!
  • Cherry tomatoes, Brandywine, beefsteak, plum, grape, slicing, heirloom, or sun golds would be amazing in this salsa.
  • And of course, you could always use tomatillos for a burst of citrusy flavor!
• Jalapenos: To me there’s just something so amazingly floral about a jalapeno that’s picked fresh off the vine.
  • But, if you enjoy the hotter things in life, a seeded habanero will also bring a lot of heat with a kiss of fruity citrus to the salsa.
  • Let your own preferences be your guide to the heat level of this fresh salsa!
• Green Pepper: This pepper will round out the flavors of the other ingredients and give it a bit of earthy bitterness.
  • But, if you’d like to switch it out for a red bell pepper that will add an extra layer of sweetness to the salsa.
• Limes: If you’re lucky enough to live in a locale where you can grow citrus, walk out to that tree and grab the juiciest limes you can lay your hands on!
  • If you don’t have that enviable situation, just get the best limes you can find at the grocery store.
  • The key here is, wherever you buy your limes, you want them to be plump and juicy.
• Cilantro: The big difference between extremely fresh and tender cilantro from the garden or farmers market rather than store-bought cilantro is in the stems.
  • When you have fresh cilantro, you also have the stems and not just the leaves. In fact, some people think the stems are the most flavorful part of the plant!
  • So, when you’re reaching for that bunch of deliciousness, don’t throw away those stems!
• Garlic: I think garlic adds the perfect rich bite of flavor to this spicy garden salsa.
  • But if you or your family or friends aren’t fans of garlic, feel free to substitute the garlic with shallots.
  • Shallots are the mildest members of the onion family, but they mimic a bit of garlic’s attributes.

Equipment Needed

• A cutting board and chef's knife.
• A food processor or blender. You can also chop all of the ingredients by hand if you don't have either!
• A spatula for scraping.
• Jars or containers for storing.

Storage Tips

Store this refrigerator salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 7 days.

If you're canning this recipe, follow the USDA guide or state extension guide for canning.

Recipe Tips, Substitutions and Alternatives

• Add scallions: Because this salsa is so fresh, you could also use scallions in place of the onions for a bit of extra summer flavor!
• Skip the sugar: Instead of sugar, you could skip it for a more acidic and tangy salsa.
• Skip the cilantro: If you’re cilantro averse, you could substitute it with flat-leaf parsley.
• Add zest: Before juicing the limes, you could zest them too for an extra bit of citrusy flavor in this salsa.

Serving Tip

Serve this salsa with chips and mojitos for the ultimate weekend happy hour!

Garden-inspired recipes:

• Spicy Zucchini Soup
• "Fried" Green Tomato BLTs
• Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
• Rustic Heirloom Tomato Pizza
• Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Muffins
• Strawberry Cucumber Salad
• Cinnamon Crunch Zucchini Bread

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